Constitution - commentary
Congregational meetings
| Constitution text | Commentary |
|---|---|
| 9) There shall be the following kinds of Congregational Meeting of the Charity: | |
| a) Annual Congregational Meetings; | Partnership Annual General Meeting, ‘Congregation’ here means the entire single congregation of the Partnership |
| b) Ordinary Congregational Meetings; | Local Church Meetings, ‘Congregation’ here means local church congregation. These meetings have to be held in all 4 churches. (And so can add up to a total Partnership ‘congregation’) |
| c) Special Congregational Meetings; | Extraordinary General Meetings |
| 10) Congregational Meetings shall be convened by or on behalf of the Trustees, either: | Trustees (Partnership Council) will delegate the holding of Ordinary Congregational Meetings to local leadership teams and church committees |
| a) by giving 14 days' (or, in the case of a Special Congregational Meeting, 21 days') notice in writing sent to the addresses recorded for the Members in the register of Members; or | |
| b) by giving verbal notice given at each service of public worship held in the LEP on the two Sundays (or, in the case of a Special Congregational meeting, the three Sundays) immediately preceding the date of the Congregational Meeting. | |
| 11) An Annual Congregational Meeting must be held within 12 months of the adoption of this Constitution and once in every subsequent calendar year. | Constitution Adopted at EGM 30 Jan 2011, subsequent AGM 28 March 2011. |
| 12) The business of an Annual Congregational Meeting is to: | |
| a) receive the report of the Trustees on the Charity’s activities since the previous Annual Congregational Meeting: | |
| b) review the life and witness of the Charity; | |
| c) elect Trustees from among the Members by processes that are clear and open; | |
| d) receive the accounts of the Charity for the previous financial year; | |
| e) appoint an auditor or independent examiner for the Charity; and | |
| f) consider any other business put before it by the Trustees. | |
| 13) An Ordinary Congregational Meeting shall be convened on not less than three occasions in each calendar year in each of the 5 churches. | As far as the Charity Commission is concerned the word ‘Congregation’ here means Partnership, and we hold Ordinary Congregation Meetings quarterly, in pieces, one piece in each local church community. As far as we are concerned, we hold meetings of the local congregation in each local church. So, in this clause only, our understanding of ‘Congregation’ means ‘local church’. |
| 14) The business of an Ordinary Congregational Meeting is to: | |
| a) review the life and witness of the LEP and its participating churches; | Here we mean, review the life and witness of the partnership as it applies locally: ie primarily that of the local church |
| b) consider topics relevant to the local and wider witness of the LEP; | Here we mean, topics relevant to the life and wider witness of the partnership as it applies locally: ie primarily that of the local church |
| c) receive reports covering all aspects of the life of the LEP; | Here we mean, reports covering all aspects of the life of the partnership as it applies locally: ie primarily that of the local church |
| d) consider matters brought to it by the Trustees, so as to offer advice or guidance (to which the Trustees must have regard), and to indicate support as required; | Here we mean, matters brought by the trustees (Partnership Council) as they apply locally: ie primarily that of the local church |
| e) help to shape the life, work and vision of the LEP. | Here we mean, to help shape the life work and vision of the partnership as it applies locally: ie primarily that of the local church |
| 15) A Special Congregational Meeting may be called at any time by the Trustees and must be called by them within 21 days after receiving a written request from at least one-tenth of the Members for the time being. | Here we are back to using ‘Congregation’ meaning the whole partnership! |
| 16) In the case of a Special Congregational Meeting the notice of the meeting must include an indication of the business to be transacted. | |
| 17) The business of a Special Congregational Meeting shall comprise that referred to in the notice convening it and no other | |
| 18) No business shall be conducted at any Congregational Meeting unless at least one-quarter of the number of Members for the time being (if greater), are present. | Annual Congregational Meetings, this quorum is one quarter of the membership of the partnership. Ordinary Congregational Meetings, this quorum is one quarter of the membership of the local church. Special Congregational Meetings, this quorum is one quarter of the membership of the partnership |
| 19) The chair of the Trustees or (if the chair is unable or unwilling to do so) some other Member elected by those present shall preside at any Congregational Meeting. | |
| 20) Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, every issue at a Congregational Meeting shall be determined by a simple majority of votes cast by the Members present and voting. | Though we like unanimity! |
| 21) Except for the chair of the meeting, who in the case of an equality of votes has a second or casting vote, every Member present in person at any Congregational Meeting is entitled to one vote on every issue. | The chair would normally (and at their discretion) use a casting vote to defeat a tied motion so it may be reconsidered subsequently, because we like unanimity |
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